World

Bruce Kennedy

Professor Norma Winston

Cohabitation in the USA / Australia

Testing the marital lifestyle by living together, before marriage, is a common practice among today's young adults. The number of unmarried couples living together increased tenfold from 1960 to 2000, according to the U.S. Census; about 10 million people are living with a partner of the opposite sex. That's about 8% of U.S. coupled households. Data show that most unmarried partners who live together are 25 to 34. However there is statistically a bigger difference in cohabitation in Australia. Regardless of size, Australia is one of the largest nations that experience large cohabitant families. Many issues are placed in front of cohabitant families. Issues such as money, children, and marriage are just some of the topics at hand. With a comparison between the United States and Australia, a clear view of the two countries cultures, and how they feel towards cohabitation will be evident.

The genetic make up of the typical family, has been greatly mutated over the years. Society has begun to accept different lifestyles, and new laws are being passed to allow these radical changes. For instance, 20 years it would be unheard of for a homosexual couple to raise a child. Now, in today's

Society, we see homosexual celebrities being on the forefront, throwing a ripple in the cookie cutter lifestyle many have lived by for countless years. However, homosexuality does not bring about the only radical change in the composition of the family. Heterosexual couples today are having children, in non-marital relationships. Couples are cohabitating for multiple years, eventually having children and not changing their martial status. Things are slightly different though, between homosexual couple and heterosexual couples. Most children that are raised in a gay household, their parents are legally married to each other.

In regards to Australia, various results have been discovered due to cohabitation. To most, people would think that cohabiting would result in more stable relationships, if marriage were to occur. This is completely untrue, in fact, Australia has discovered that couples that are cohabiting for more then two years and enter marriage, are more likely to divorce in two years or less (civitas.org). Also, less then four percent of all cohabitating relationships, last longer then a ten year time period. Why do many couples break up, instead of growing old together? For cohabitating relationships, many find that, cheating has become a bigger issue. With no concrete relationship, such as marriage, partners tend to stray from their other partners. Women that are in cohabiting relationships are also more prone to potential domestic violence issues. Marriage can now be seen as something carrying some more weight then most thought. It is a documented event, between two people having more significance. The root of most problems also stem from the cornerstone of most families and relationships,